Although hardly a surprise to gaming industry insiders, the news of the divorce between Valve, the developer of bestselling game Half Life, and Vivendi, the games publisher, could have a seismic impact on games and gamers. Big developers have walked out on big publishers before, but this is different. Valve isn't about to rush into the sweaty embrace of another publisher - this time it may well stay single. The question is, how long will it be before every other major developer tries to do the same?

In the beginning, there were only developers - bedroom coding factories such as Codemasters, where the teenage Darling brothers couldn't churn out their ZX Spectrum hits fast enough. To help with the marketing, duplication and distribution, they roped in their dad, who, being all grown up, decided he could offer the same service to other developers.

Thus, a handful of pioneers evolved into publishers and as games grew more expensive to produce, investing in new ones became a science rather than an impulse. Today, if you're not in bed with a good publisher, the chances of getting your title in the shops or on the bigger websites are virtually zero. It is about power; publishers have it, developers want it and consumers are caught in the crossfire.

At least, that was the case until November, when a stranger called Steam came into town. Steam, Valve's system for delivering games and updates to consumers over the web, enjoyed a mixed reception among fans but as a device for locking in gamers, its success is undeniable. You want to play Half Life 2? Well, sign up, sucker, because this is the only way you're getting it. Unlike most games, with Steam you also get the software and other freebies thrown in. It is the same model Sky used in the late 80s: tempt them in, sign them up, and think of long-term profit.

As broadband uptake grows and website security improves, the days of boxed software are coming to an end. This leaves other developers envying Valve's great escape. Who will be next? Sports Interactive (Football Manager), Maxis (The Sims), or Rockstar (Grand Theft Auto)? The main obstacle is money: games still cost millions to make, so only those with a guaranteed hit franchise will be able to go it alone. They will also need their own Steam-like platform to deliver the software.

But one by one, developers will take back their best ideas and gamers will be in charge again. If we play this right, we could be the winners: deciding on the games we really want to see and investing in the developers we trust to produce them. Of course, publishers weren't all bad - they did oversee and finance almost every great game we ever played. And we can't pretend the developers who make it alone will be any less mercenary or short-sighted when confronted with the realities of keeping shareholders and bankers happy.

There is, however, a certain justice in paying money directly to those who worked to entertain us. Now that Steam has made it possible, let's see what developers such as Valve can do with their freedom.